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Only items marked with (*) are averaged
into the displayed overall rating.

General Rating Criteria

*Temperament

(1=Awful,10=Excellent)

*Scholarship

(1=Awful,10=Excellent)

*Industriousness

(1=Not at all industrious,10=Highly industrious)

*Ability to Handle Complex Litigation

(1=Awful,10=Excellent)

*Punctuality

(1=Chronically Late,10=Always on Time)

*General Ability to Handle Pre-Trial Matters

(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)

*General Ability as a Trial Judge

(1=Not all Able, 10=Extremely Able)

Flexibility In Scheduling

(1=Completely Inflexible,10=Very Flexible)

Criminal Rating Criteria (if applicable)

*Evenhandedness in Criminal Litigation

(1=Demonstrates Bias,10=Entirely Evenhanded)

General Inclination Regarding Bail

(1=Pro-Defense,10=Pro-Government)

Involvement in Plea Discussions

(1=Not at all Involved, 10=Very Involved)

General Inclination in Criminal Cases Pretrial Stage

(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

General Inclination in Criminal Cases Trial Stage

(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

General Inclination in Criminal Cases Sentencing Stage

(1=Pro-prosecution,10=Pro-defense)

Civil Rating Criteria (if applicable)

*Evenhandedness in Civil Litigation

(1=Not at all Evenhanded,10=Entirely Evenhanded)

Involvement in Settlement Discussions

(1=Not at all Involved,10=Very Involved)

General Inclination

(1=Pro-defendant, 10=Pro-plaintiff)

Comments

What others have said about
Hon. Claudia J. Silbar

Comments

Court Staff

Comment #: CA6727
Rating:10.0
Comments:
As an attorney that has been practicing family law in Orange County for many years, I can personally attest to the fact that Judge Silbar is one of the best family law judges on the bench in Orange County. She gives everybody a fair shot and makes her decisions based on the law. We need more judges like her.

Civil Litigation - Private

Comment #: CA4262
Rating:8.6
Comments:
Although one of Orange County's best family law judges in recent years, Judge Silbar has had to quietly take heat from litigants who were unwilling to accept the consequences of litigation, i.e., the decision was placed in the judge's hands once settlement options were rejected. Litigants lacking sufficient introspection to realize they were practically bluffing their way to trial with a loser's hand learn when they should have folded rather than calling. There cannot be two winners; Judge Silbar knows that and usually makes the right call.

Court Staff

Comment #: CA3534
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Silbar refuses to read case materials, prejudges cases and makes inappropriate outbursts and attacks parties without justification.
She fakes knowing the law, flip flops from day to day on what she thinks would be her tentative only to do a 180.
She has a clear bias against women and moms, perhaps stemming from a bad event in her youth. Who knows?
She just doesn't belong on the bench and should have never been appointed to this most valuable and worthy position.
The sooner she retires and draws her pension the more justice people will receive.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA3138
Rating:10.0
Comments:
She is truly in my opinion the best judge in the family panel in OC. She treats everyone equally the same ith respect, knows the law very well, has a very good memory with facts of the case, and has no bias against fathers or mothers one way or the other. I represented a father attempting to obtain passport for his son, despite the image the other side attempted to create my client as a monster child abductor, she followed the law, allowed my client to get the child a passport, and he was able to travel with his son and return safely back to U.S. She is just great, wish more judges had the guts and great instincts like she does.

Litigant

Comment #: CA1980
Rating:Not Rated
Comments:
Judge Silbar has a very balanced approach when it comes to children seeing both parents. She does not carry the old school "Mom bias" that some judges have.

I'm glad my daughter is out of the bad situation she was in before. Would be great if she was Presiding Judge over Family Law Courts. Keep up the good work Judge Silbar. Signed a loving Father.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA594
Rating:10.0
Comments:
Judge Silbar runs her family court room well. she takes no beef from pro pers she is fair and she does not roll over for the good old lawyers, she rules the way she see it in the law. I believe you receive a fair hearing in her court.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

Comment #: CA229
Rating:6.4
Comments:
She was a superstar, easy-going judge before she was bounced out of family law and sent to civil, then she fought her way back to family law and now she is a terror. I don't know what happened but she has the worst temperament of any judge in family law.